From the office of Rep. Derek Schmidt

Rep. Derek Schmidt covered several key legislative actions and events from a difficult week in American politics. He acknowledged the assassination of a young father during a political dialogue, referencing Charlie Kirk and emphasizing the importance of maintaining civil discourse in the political process. The message also commemorated the 24th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, calling for unity and recommitment to democratic principles.

The House passed significant defense legislation this week, focusing on military funding and Department of Defense acquisition reform. The representative secured provisions to streamline the Pentagon supplier process for small businesses and highlighted benefits for servicemembers, including a 3.8% pay increase, expanded child care programs, and TRICARE dental insurance extensions. The bill passed with bipartisan support at 231-196 but requires reconciliation with the Senate version.

Border security remained a priority with the passage of legislation strengthening penalties for illegal border crossings, particularly targeting repeat offenders who have committed crimes. The representative cosponsored H.R. 3486, the Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025, citing a 2016 case in Wyandotte County where a previously deported individual killed multiple people in Kansas and Missouri. The legislation aims to address what the representative describes as weak enforcement during previous administrations.

Tax relief for seniors was highlighted through provisions in the Working Families Tax Cut bill. While a complete elimination of income taxes on Social Security benefits wasn't possible through budget reconciliation, the legislation includes a "bonus deduction" allowing seniors to deduct up to $6,000 ($12,000 for married couples), which will fully offset Social Security benefit taxes for most of the district's 140,000 seniors.

He acknowledged Kansas visitors to Washington, including the Kansas Auto Dealers Association and Kansas Chamber, and announces President Trump's approval of a Major Disaster Declaration for Kansas. This declaration provides $5.7 million in federal funding to help communities recover from severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred June 3-7, 2025, affecting 15 counties including five in the representative's Second District: Chase, Coffey, Lyon, Morris and Osage counties.